Wednesday, 11 March 2020

This is a beautiful collection of acoustic folk songs,
beautifully sung with beautiful harmonies - so full of beautiful intentions.

It is hard to explain, but the death metal precursor-influence
of Tribulation guitarist Jonathan Hultén is evident in all – and no, I can’t
explain that. Mentioning I hear the folk sound of Ian Anderson’s early Jethro
Tull folk sound doesn’t fill the void either.

Despite the album’s title this isn’t linked to chanting.
There are hymnal tones throughout and this gives it the overall feel of a sombre
beauty. I am reminded of Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society and his solo
journeys into harmonious territory – there is a magical opposition between the
heavy to the peaceful [a crude antithesis] where the latter is the embodiment of
all the former isn’t.

Is it a compulsive urge to differ? To counter? To balance?

I suspect not.

And there is no articulation of the opposition in the ‘la/la/la/la/la/la/ing’
of a sweet song like Holy Woods. That
the next Where Devils Weep is as
sweetly soothing – with whistling – confirms it quite simply is what it is. Comparisons
I have read to folk icons like Nick Drake and John Martyn seem entirely
misplaced. Simon and Garfunkel on Where
Devils Weep, however, would do nicely. But that is a singular touchstone.

Friday, 6 March 2020

New to me, this is a series of ‘outtakes from the classic Songs Of Praise and In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land albums, compiled by On-U archivist
Patrick Dokter from the original tapes and expertly sequenced to work as an
immersive listening experience’ [quote from the band’s Bandcamp page] so that’s
two albums I have to check out in full.

Don’t be put off by the sheer beautiful bliss of opener Peace and Happiness or the punchier but
still melodious soul shaman-effect of subsequent Jungle Law – it does get wilder, especially when confronting the
percussion and other of Pitched Fever
and Dervish Dub.

If you like your yin and yang, or just testing how long it
takes to shift from peace and serenity to energised, then this ‘sequenced work’
is designed for you.

Tuesday, 3 March 2020

I was going to focus immediately on the slight dissonance of
its sound, ‘slight’ quite a crucial qualifier, and then doing some reading I
realised this is microtonal so
perhaps there are many out there who understand this well.

Well, for me this adds such a distinctive otherness to its
sound, other than Western, and it works beautifully throughout across all
instrumentation, though much of this is to do with the influence and playing of
guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski. The beauty is in the nearness to what the
ear expects – perhaps of that conventional jazz fusion sound – and the fact it
is not in any way cacophonous for that dissension.

There are additional sounds in the vocals of Georgian choir
Ensemble Basiani, and singer Nana Valishvili contributes an extraordinary vocal
to Moaning which is otherwise a
punchy riff-driven number, her emotive elegy to soldiers who died in the Georgia
and Russia conflict of 2008 adding a layer to the empathetic discord of
Mikadze’s potent microtonal keyboard playing.

The Ensemble Basiani sings on five tracks, including
penultimate Lazhgvash which combines
their choric harmonising with guitar/keyboard microtonal competition in another
sweet confrontation. In closer Tseruli,
the staccato beats of Panagiotis Andreou on fretless bass and Sean Wright on
drums join Mikadze, Fiuczynski and the Ensemble for a rousing runaround of
sound.

A wonderful album. I can’t wait to listen again – tomorrow
now as I have written this late in the evening wanting to celebrate immediately
my thrill on hearing.

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This blog is essentially for music reviews, including live gigs. Frequently heavy on 60s/70s nostalgia, the time of my musical growing-up, there is also an eclectic and contemporary range. In addition I fuel a commitment to posting themed album covers for the simple challenge and fun of it - as I've started, I'll keep going. Enjoy.